Harquahala Mountains
Encyclopedia
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, USA and are located southwest of the towns of Aguila
Aguila, Arizona
Aguila is a CDP in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 60 approximately 20 miles west of Wickenburg, or at approximately 50000 N. 510th Ave. Major economic activities include cantaloupe farming and formerly included mining. It uses the same street numbering system...
and Wenden
Wenden, Arizona
Wenden is a census-designated place in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 556 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wenden is located at ....
. The name originated from a local Native American people "Aha qua hala" which meant "water there is high up". The range is oriented from northeast to southwest and is approximately 32 km long and 20 km at its widest point. At the northeast are two prominent peaks, Eagle Eye Peak and Eagle Eye Mountain. One has a natural opening or bridge through it appearing as an eye high up, and is the namesake for the peaks and Aguila (Spanish for eagle). The highest point, Harquahala Peak, rises to 1,732 meters. Socorro Peak (1,134 m) is at the southwest end of the range.
The very windy summit can be reached via a rough, 4-wheel drive road. This high point was used by the U.S. Army in the 1880s as a heliograph
Heliograph
A heliograph is a wireless solar telegraph that signals by flashes of sunlight reflected by a mirror. The flashes are produced by momentarily pivoting the mirror, or by interrupting the beam with a shutter...
station. Then in 1920 a Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it is joined with the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics .-History:The SAO was founded in 1890 by...
was constructed on this summit and operated for five years before being relocated to Table Mountain, near Wrightwood, California
Wrightwood, California
Wrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of . The population was 4,525 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Its purpose was to study variations in the solar output as a possible factor in climate prediction.
Designated in 1990, the 22880 acres (93 km²) Harquahala Mountain Wilderness Area lies to the north and east of the summit at 33°49′40"N 113°17′52"W on the Maricopa
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
/ La Paz
La Paz County, Arizona
La Paz County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census its population was 20,489. The county seat is Parker...
county line.
At the southwest end of the mountain range, there are gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
mines and in the past there were extensive mines for gold and silver.